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Fresh from his trip to the States, Sen Nichols talked about his experiences while on tour with fellow ex-Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 scholar Van Roxas and Season Ones Irish Fullerton. I did a show in San Francsico, LA, and Chicago where we performed with Gabby Concepcion (who happened to be vacationing in the States at the time). Super successful. I didnt realize that a lot of TFC subscribers are avid viewers of Pinoy Dream Academy. I was surprised because madami silang tanong tungkol sa nangyari sa loob. Super quick lang yung preparation pero ang ganda ng outcome. Although it wasnt an official PDA tour, parang it became a teaser for whats going to happen next for us scholars, he happily recounted in an interview with ABS-CBN.com.

Sen couldnt help but feel excited about his budding showbiz career. Grabe, kasi hindi ako nakapasok sa first season ng PDA and tinatry ko talaga to enter showbiz for three years already. But sometimes there's a right time for things to happen. And I am happy because it happened to me now. This is really what I have been waiting for. He further revealed his upcoming projects starting this January. I know in the coming days I have several projects coming up. Im going to have a mall show in Cebu with Van and Liezel Garcia. I have something in Us Girls, Im going do a shoot for MetroHim Magazine, and people should also watch out for my new endorsement. So I am taking things one at a time. I dont know where this road will take me, but so far its great to be here and I feel really blessed, he exclaimed.

The charming singer also shared that he had the chance to see his family who are based in San Francisco during the recent holiday season. It was really great because I havent seen my dad and my kuya in a long time and they wanted to see me. They came out to watch the PDA show. They were there in full force to finally see me perform live. Kasi alam talaga nilang this is my dream. And there I was performing in front of them in the US. So that was just a good feeling. Was there any special girl whom he left behind in the US? No may naiwan lang dito. But no, no, no, I was just kidding. Right now since everything has been a whirlwind, my options are open right now. I am single and available, he beamed.

As it happened, things didnt work out between him and Cris Pastor, who was romantically linked to him while they were still inside the academy. You know, sometimes when youre stuck in the house 24/7, you see one side, but there's more you want to see in a person. And I see us in just the friendship level and I think that it is best that way, he explained when asked why their seemingly blossoming romance suddenly vanished at the time. Sen said that it was a mutual decision to just stick to their friendship. I think it was mutual. There were things that happened inside that made me kind of back off a little. But that doesnt change the fact that were still going to be friends. We see each other from time to time. Actually were supposedly going to EnchantedKingdom but she didnt get the chance to go with us. So it was just me, Bugoy (Drilon), Van, and Liezel, he added.

Since he is single for now, Sen says that hes still on the lookout for someone to date come Valentines Day. Wala pa akong plans but hopefully I have a Valentines Date. Gusto ko talaga, so if there's anybody out there na kailangan ng date I am available, he joked.

Though he has a lot of showbiz crushes, Sen couldnt really ask them out since most of them are taken already. Si Kim Chiu, but she's younger than me. Well crush lang naman. Kasi I was able to work with her during a certain pictorial Ang ganda ng pag-emote niya sa camera. She just knew how to carry herself. I find Regine Angeles really pretty but I know she's taken already. Then of course, Anne Curtis. Actually nung pumasok siya sa Academy super excited ako to meet her. But I really didnt have the chance to talk to her kasi you know how it is, we were still scholars at the time. I really didnt have the chance to see her afterwards. But every time I see her around ABS-CBN, namemesmerize talaga ako, he admitted.

How about someone from non-showbiz? Not right now. Concentrate muna ako sa career ko because I want to make sure I take full advantage of it, he promptly replied.

From Manila Bulletin
Students and Campuses Section
Thursday; December 11, 2008

A Survivor's Story
by Jaser A. Marasigan

A few years ago Hansen Nichols thought he was singing his last song.

After surviving a car crash, this Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 scholar was diagnosed to have thyroid cancer. His doctors handed down the cruel verdict; he might not be able to sing again.

"The possibility of me losing my voice was too much because I love to sing. I'm a singer. I have a choir performance and I postponed my surgery just so I could do that last performance. I didn't know if I will be able to sing again after. I just left it in God's hands," says the 25-year-old survivor, who was recently named as Kythe Foundation's "Official Pop Celebrity".

After his stint in PDA, Hansen lent his newfound celebrity to Kythe Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization that caters to the psycho-social needs of children with cancer and other chronic illnesses. They are the pioneer of the Child Life Program in the Philippines.

By asking Hansen to be their spokesperson, Kythe wants to send a message to the sick children that they can still live a life and live their dreams, just like their Kuya Hansen. After all, Hansen's fit physique hardly shows any trace of his battle with cancer, except for a scar on his neck from the surgery.

"We want to let these children know that whatever it is that they want to be, they can do it without having the term 'cancer' in it. In PDA I was known as the cancer survivor but now I'm known as a survivor. You don't have to be known as just the cancer survivor anymore. You could still live a full life and be what you want even though you've been through this," he shares.

Hansen believes that stories of hope and inspiration can get these kids through tough times. Cancer survival stories, especially if they are told by the survivors themselves, are guaranteed to prop up the morale of the children and their parents.

"We're fighters here. Tell them that there is a chance for them, too. I also tell the parents that you are the support of the kids. I give credit to the kids because they are fighting for their lives at such a young age. To experience something like this is something so great. When you've gone through something like this and you beat it, you can conquer anything," he adds.

THE LONG BATTLE

Had he not encountered a car accident in 2001, Hansen wouldn't have known that he was ill. He was driving his mom home to Sacramento in California when his car crashed onto another car on the freeway. What he thought was just an ordinary neck pain, which he assumed was caused by the accident, turned out to be much worse.

"After undergoing through a lot of tests I finally get this phone call from my endocrinologist. When he told me I had cancer, parang yung buong katawan ko naging numb. I felt scared and empty. I went to my mom and told her about it. My mom cried first and then I started crying. I got so emotional because of her. And then she looks up and says, Lord bakit hindi na lang ako. I hugged her and said, mom no, no please. She was holding me so tight," recalls Hansen of what he describes as the worst phone call of his life.

During the long battle, he admits that there were a few times when he wanted to give up.

"There were times that I didn't want to do it anymore because I never really understood what I was feeling. I dreaded the diet. I dreaded the treatments, and scans, the blood work. Every morning I have to take a pill for the rest of my life. If you watched Pinoy Dream Academy, I have to wake up one hour earlier to take my medicine, I have to wait one hour before I can eat," he relates.

New Year's Day 2002, Hansen remembers locking himself in the bathroom after learning that the cancer had spread to his lungs.

"I was in the bathroom crying because I didn't know if I was going to be here the next year. I get all these news that these people are dying before me, some actor, a relative, my mom's friend. It was kind of depressing at one point. If the treatment doesn't work baka next year wala na ako. There was always that thought. I don't wanna die of cancer because I felt fine," he says.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Prior to his cancer bout, Hansen was very much active in sports. He played basketball and volleyball, and even engaged in track and field, snow blading or roller blading.

"When I was told I couldn't do all of those anymore, that's what drove me to make it happen. Even now, I'm still battling. I'm still fighting for my dream," he says.

His body may have been held back but his spirit excelled far beyond the dreams of most of us.

"The series of events just drove me to work harder. I rushed everything but I was focused with only one goal -- get my college diploma so I could leave the US and pursue a singing career here in Manila. I got some credits early. In between treatments, I would stay home but I would be studying. I was able to finish high school and college fast," says the Economics graduate from the University of San Francisco.

SHARING HIS STORY

Hansen's involvement with Kythe Foundation has not only allowed him to make a positive impact, it has also helped him come to terms with what he has been through.

"It is hard in this position to find strength. I kind of lost a lot of years too. I was 18 then. I'm 25 now. The strength that I got was really from myself and God, and my family of course. But they couldn't really relate to me because none of them had cancer," he adds.

It took him years before he was able to speak freely about his health history. Only the family and his closest friends knew about it.

His battle against cancer was even made more difficult because it spread to his lungs. After undergoing a surgery to remove the cancer cells from his thyroid, he was still treated with radiation and was given a clean bill of health in 2006.

He realized that he needed to share his story to provide hope and inspiration. With this in mind, he entered the world of advocacy.

"Why be afraid or ashamed of it. Usually when you see a cancer patient, you always say, kawawa. I didn't want people to look at me that way. Ayoko ng kakaawaan ako. I finally shared my story because it's part of my journey as a singer. I was told I could never sing again. And here I am, singing," he says.

He describes his survival as his second lease in life. He vowed to live the life that he wants. "I'm gonna do what I want to do," he says. "I know what my family and mom has been through in life too. Maybe that determination has been instilled in me but you kinda have to find it within yourself also," he continues.

Kythe Foundation is launching an activity/comic book in February next year, in time for its anniversary celebration. The 30-page book will feature Hansen's story of survival. It will be distributed to its nine affiliated hospitals including in Tarlac, Cebu and Davao.

"The book is a way for me to be with them in some way. Para the kids can hold on to something to inspire them," he adds. "And me by simply living my dream actually proves that these kids can also do it."